Our History

While many contributed to the establishment of Saint Andrew’s, the person credited with planting and nourishing the seed for this congregation was Mrs. Margaret Varley.  Born in England in 1910, she emigrated to the Haw River area in 1930.  At the time, Episcopal congregations existed in nearby Burlington.  Saint Athanasius (1879) and Holy Comforter (1911) were built and endowed by local mill owner Lawrence S. Holt.  But the residents near Haw River, also known as Trollinwood, desired a place to worship in their own community.  

By 1932, they had begun meeting in a second-floor room of a local store.  Early parishioners dubbed this location “The Upper Room”, but since the first service was held close to Saint Andrew’s Day, a request was made to make that the official name.  Despite the challenges of the depression years, the congregation realized their vision for a church of their own.  Through the generosity of the Holt Missionary Fund and local businesses, construction commenced in 1940, and a prayer service was conducted at the new site on December 1st of that year.  

In the decades since then, the church has acquired additional land and constructed newer buildings, but much of the original church remains now as it was when consecrated by Bishop Edwin Penick on October 25, 1942. 

Today we carry forward the traditions of worship and service that began almost a century ago.  Please join us as we prepare for the next century.